The Visions of Ransom Lake (6 page)

“
Oh, I think he’s just not comfortable with people,” Vaden blurted. She regretted voicing her opinion that very second, for every pair of female eyes around her arched in surprise.

“
Is that so?” Belva’s eyes narrowed daringly. “And how is it that you can come to town yesterday and presume to know more about one of our citizens than we do?”

“
I-I…Mr. Lake came into the mercantile today. He seems nice enough…just wary of people. At least that’s what it seemed to me.” Vaden swallowed hard. Belva already had a way of intimidating her, and she didn’t like the feeling.

“
You mean…you’ve spoken with him?” Raylin asked, obviously astonished.

“
Well…yes. I mean, he came into the mercantile today for some boots and—”

“
I hardly think you can accurately judge the man’s personality by a single conversation with him, Vaden.” Belva was obviously irritated. Vaden decided the particular moment to confront this girl was not at the first town social she attended.

“
You’re right, I’m sure,” Vaden surrendered, smiling apologetically. But deep within her heart, she knew her discernment where Ransom Lake was concerned was accurate.

“
Would ya do me the honor of the first dance, Miss Vaden?”

Vaden looked up to see Jerome Clayton’s charming smile affixed to her yet again.

“
Uh…certainly, Mr. Clayton,” she accepted politely, placing her hand in the hand he offered to her. She smiled at the group of girls as she left, wondering how many more enemies she had made by being the first girl of the evening to dance with the handsome Jerome Clayton. She would much rather have stayed in the company of the girls. Although her mind hesitated uncertainly when he asked her to dance, Vaden was too polite, too sensitive to the feelings of others, and too kindhearted to refuse him.

“
Belva’s a pill,” was the first thing Jerome said to her as they began to dance. “Ya don’t want to rub her the wrong way. But both the Wimber girls are nice. And Julianna Havens and Laurie Cox are sweet too. I see you’re makin’ friends fast enough.”

“
Trying,” Vaden admitted.

“
And apparently you’ve even softened the likes of Ransom Lake.”

Vaden looked up at Jerome astonished. “What do you mean?”

“
I saw you talkin’ to him this afternoon. Actually, ya looked pretty put off. But I imagine he can be an exasperatin’ man to deal with.”

“
He bought a new pair of boots. You remember he came in when you were just leaving. Anyway, he accidentally threw a valuable-looking pocketknife away in our trash barrel. I was returning it to him.” Vaden wondered why she felt so guilty. Why did she feel she had to explain her speaking with Ransom Lake to Jerome Clayton?

“
That was thoughtful of ya.” Jerome smiled again. His smile was charming. Surely Vaden’s discomfort toward the man was caused simply by the fact he was handsome and attentive toward her.

“
Well, it was the least I could do, especially after the incident when I…” Jerome raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue. “Well, your mother certainly seems like a wonderful woman. My Aunt Myra speaks very highly of her.”

“
She is a wonderful woman. And I’m sure you’ll find I’m an all right boy…even if ya have already picked me out as a flirt.” Jerome chuckled and winked at her.

Vaden returned his friendly smile, though out of politeness rather than sincerity, and admitted, “Well, it just unnerves me terribly to have people stare at me. I’m sure you can understand that.”

“
I ask your forgiveness then, Miss Vaden, for starin’ at ya. It’s just that you are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” Jerome continued to smile.

Vaden raised an unconvinced eyebrow. Unlike Yvonne, Vaden did not esteem overbearing flattery as a rule, especially when it was handed out on the occasion of only the second meeting between people. She distrusted a man who would say such things so soon. “You really sprinkle the sugar on thick, Mr. Clayton.”

“
I think most women like the sugar thick,” he whispered.

“
Most do.” Then giggling, she smiled sincerely at the young man. She had to admit most women did prefer such flattery. Vaden resigned herself to the fact perhaps Jerome Clayton wasn’t so different from other young men after all. Perhaps it was just the fact he was new to her, interested in her. Perhaps these were the things making her hesitant and suspicious of him. Still, lingering in the back of her mind was the vision of the odd, bearded hermit from the mountains.

Invariably, all through the evening, Vaden found herself glancing at the entrance to the town hall. Her instincts knew Ransom Lake would not arrive. Still, she hoped he would, if for no other reason than she held a secret wish to simply hear the intriguing tone of his voice once more. But he did not arrive, and Vaden spent the evening dancing with every young man in town, Jerome Clayton most often. He was quite attentive and charming, and Vaden did finally allow herself to inwardly admit he made the evening a pleasant experience for her. The other young women there, with the exception of Belva Tibbits, were also very friendly. Vaden enjoyed talking with them and was all the more glad she and Yvonne had been allowed to stay with their Aunt Myra and Uncle Dan for a time.



“
Isn’t it grand to be the belles of the ball, Vaden?” Yvonne sighed contentedly as they lay in their beds late that night. “I simply want to wallow in the prideful knowledge that every young man there was purely mesmerized by our presence.”

“
Vonnie!” Vaden could not abide her sister’s vanity at times. Yet at the same time, she felt on Yvonne’s part it was warranted.

“
Oh, I know, Vaden. You’d have rather been off mucking around in a creek or climbing trees to look in filthy birds’ nests.” Yvonne turned on her side facing Vaden and propped her elbow on her pillow. “I know the streak of romantic desire is thicker than pudding in you too, Vaden. How can you not be profoundly flattered at all the attention we received tonight?”

“
Because…because my idea of romance is different than yours, Vonnie.” Vaden sat up in her bed and smiled at her sister. Then she looked out the window at the bright, beckoning glimmer of the stars. “You like to have attention—to be flattered and fought over. And I suppose all women do, even me. But I want so much more. I want someone to love me, just me. To be
so
in love with me that I can’t even imagine the enormity, the depth of it. And I want to love one man with all my heart, with everything that I am. I want a man I can laugh with…a man who will hold me in his arms when I need to cry, someone who needsme as much as I need him. Just me. I want a man whose kiss is so passionate and so perfect that I feel as if I might die from the ecstasy of it! I want to marry him and have his children grow inside me…watch them mature into adults who reflect his strength and uniqueness.” Vaden looked back to Yvonne staring at her, entirely absorbed in what her sister had whispered in the quiet of the night. “I know it’s what you want too, Yvonne,” Vaden added. “The difference is…I guess the difference is…I can’t enjoy the attentions of other young men because my heart is always searching for…for him.”

“
You mean for this faultless lover you dream of?” Yvonne asked. Vaden nodded. “But, Vaden…you expect so much in your dreams. No one is perfect, Vay. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. I’m afraid you’ll let life pass you by. You need to live more for the moment and not look so much to what you hope the future will bring to you.”

“
I know, Vonnie. I know. But…but it’s me. My heart whispers it to me. There
is
such a man for me, Vonnie. Oh, no one is perfect…I realize that. I’m not saying I want the man to be perfect. I just want him to be perfect for me. And I know he exists, whether I find him now or in ten years or in twenty. He’s there, somewhere. I know he is.”

“
You must think me so shallow…so heartless, Vay. But I’m not. Truly,” Yvonne sighed.

“
I know you’re not,” Vaden assured her sister. “Just as you watch me stumble into ridiculous situation after ridiculous situation, put up ever patiently with my spontaneous whims of adventure, and still you know my soul…I know yours. I know it must be wonderful to be the most beautiful woman in the room and have every man in it at your beckon call. Yet I know that you want the same things I want out of life—a husband who was begotten only for you, who will father children with you, and together they will all bring you boundless joy and fulfillment. I do know that, Vonnie.”

Yvonne smiled at Vaden. “How I love you, little sister.”

“
And I love you, big sister.”

Yvonne closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply. “Someone’s burning cedar in their hearth tonight. Isn’t it a heavenly fragrance?”

Vaden closed her eyes and lay down on her bed. “Heavenly!” she sighed. She imagined a fireplace in a cozy house. She imagined sitting before it watching the fire burn and crackle, wrapped securely in strong, capable, masculine arms. “I wonder why he tears away his sleeves,” she whispered aloud a moment before sleep overtook her.

CHAPTER THREE

“
Well, I have to say it,” Dan stated one morning at breakfast. “I just have to say I don’t know what we did for fun before you girls arrived.”

“
I’ll second that,” Myra agreed. “You girls make the days brighter and the nights warmer. And what a swarm of young people we’ve had ’round since you two moved in! I swear, I think Jerome Clayton is plumb gone on you, Vaden. And every other bachelor in the state must be camping out across the street waitin’ for Vonnie to come out of the mercantile so they can catch a glimpse of her!”

Yvonne smiled. “Everyone in town has been very friendly and accepting.”

“
Everyone except Belva Tibbits,” Vaden corrected.

“
Belva Tibbits don’t count,” Dan chuckled. “Her nose is too long, and her eyes are too far apart.”

“
Now, Daniel,” Myra scolded, trying in vain to suppress a smile.

“
She’s only jealous because Jerome Clayton is Vaden’s beau,” Yvonne stated.

“
Jerome Clayton is not my beau, Yvonne. And you know it!” Vaden felt overly defensive. For the past two weeks, she had been mercilessly teased by her Uncle Dan and Yvonne. Jerome Clayton appeared at least once a day in the mercantile, claiming to have just stopped in for a visit with Dan. He stared at Vaden all through church on Sundays too, and though Vaden knew he was every girl’s ambition, she could not commit herself to the idea of being too involved with him. At times his consistent and obvious attentions caused her unbearable discomfort. He was too attentive, and often the expression in his eyes sent a nervous shiver down her spine. Perhaps, she had mused over and over, it was merely because she wasn’t used to such intent attention from a particular young man. Everyone adored Jerome Clayton and sang his praises at every turn. However, Vaden felt differently. Somehow, she wasn’t sure she trusted him. Furthermore, ever in the back of her mind lingered the image of Ransom Lake, and she secreted a profound curiosity about him—a need to know him. Ever he was in Vaden’s thoughts—quiet, alone, and tragic. Her mind never lingered on Jerome Clayton that way—never.

Suddenly, at the sound of Dan’s jolly voice again, Vaden once more returned her attention to the conversation going on around her.

“
It seems we’ve got young folks under foot here and there every free minute of the day. I just can’t believe it’s been two weeks since you girls got here. How time does fly,” Dan said, continuing to chew his toast.

Vaden and Yvonne had made several friends among the girls in town since their arrival. And they did have prospective suitors buzzing around like bees to honey. Yet this only served to remind Vaden that Ransom Lake hadn’t shown his face anywhere near the town citizenship since the day he’d been in the store to buy boots. Often, when she had free time or Yvonne and Myra sent her out on a walk, she would sit in the largest maple tree on the creek bank near the old bridge or on the bridge itself. She’d let her bare toes skim across the water’s top and watch the road she knew led from town to Ransom Lake’s farm, hoping to catch a glimpse of the strange man who kept to himself. But she hadn’t seen him and had almost given up hope of ever seeing him again.

“
Vaughn Wimber says he’s gonna start his punkin harvest next couple or three weeks, Vaden. I knew you’d be lookin’ forward to that.” Dan winked affectionately at his niece as she looked up and smiled. “Maybe you and Yvonne could go out and choose a few of the biggest and best to buy for us to use or sell in the mercantile.”

“
I’d love it, and you know it,” Vaden admitted, returning her attention to the conversation.

“
I thought ya might.”

As quickly as her attention had been arrested, it was lost. She thought of having finally met, and distinguished in her mind, the two Wimber families in town. One was the Vaughn Wimber family. Vaughn owned the pumpkin patch. He and his wife, Sue Ellen, were Nathaniel’s parents. They had two younger daughters as well who had been in the mercantile several times. Raylin and Selma’s parents were Kent Wimber, Vaughn’s brother, and his wife, Margaret. This family had three young children as well as a new baby. Though Vaughn Wimber owned the massive pumpkin patch outside of town and Vaden admired him for it, it was Selma and Raylin’s family Vaden favored.

“
Well, I gotta get goin’, Myra,” Dan said, folding his napkin and placing it on the table next to his plate. “I told ol’ Ransom Lake I’d deliver those supplies he ordered today.”